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Biography

Scripps Health Chief Academic Officer, Eric Topol, MD, is a practicing cardiologist with Scripps Clinic and a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular medicine. In his productive career as a physician-scientist, he has built an international reputation for his ground-breaking research and expertise. Read more

Scripps Health Chief Academic Officer, Eric Topol, MD, is a practicing cardiologist with Scripps Clinic and a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular medicine. In his productive career as a physician-scientist, he has built an international reputation for his ground-breaking research and expertise.

Of special interest to Dr. Topol are genomics, wireless sensors, preventive cardiology (including heart attack prevention), coronary artery disease and preventive medicine. The research that Dr. Topol has done on genomic and wireless digital technologies continues to reshape the future of medicine. Despite his in-depth research focus, he continues to see patients at Scripps Clinic, as he believes that research is only as good as what it can do to help others.

Dr. Topol’s philosophy of care is based on the belief that patients should be fully empowered. He ensures this by sharing information completely and building a partnership with his patients. He is also a believer that each patient is unique and therefore requires a specific care plan tailored to their individual needs. He uses the latest innovations in heart care to treat his patients and only turns to medication when absolutely necessary.

In a 2012 poll conducted by Modern Healthcare, Dr. Topol was voted as the number one Most Influential Physician Executive in the United States. He has done much to expand our understanding of how genetics can determine a person’s health risks, particularly their risk for a heart attack. He has been a spearhead in the discovery of multiple genes that increase susceptibility for heart attack and continues his research in this area with the Scripps Translational Science Institute. Here, physicians and scientist work together to discover and define the genes that may influence disease.

An avid educator, he founded a medical school, with the goal of training future generations of physician-scientists. In addition, he ran the Cleveland Clinic heart program for 14 years, and brought it to the number one ranking by U.S. News and World Report for over 10 years consecutively. Today, he plays a critical role in the physician-scientist track within the Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship Program.

Dr. Topol has been involved in the development of many medications and critical heart care therapies that are routinely used in medical practice today. He has also published over 1100 peer-reviewed articles and over 30 medical textbooks. His book The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care (Basic Books) was published in 2012.

In 2009, Dr. Topol was selected as one of the country’s 12 “Rock Stars of Science” in GQ magazine. In 2011, the University of Michigan, where he had served as a faculty member, initiated the Eric Topol Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine to recognize his contributions. The University of Rochester, his alma mater medical school, awarded him the Hutchinson Medal, the University’s highest honor. He was also elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and is one of the top 10 most cited researchers in medicine.